Brief insight into jazz

Shoppers at Landmark were treated to a surprise performance by one of India's well-known and talented jazz musicians Madhav Chari.

Launching his latest album Parisian Thoroughfares he treated the gathering of shoppers and browsers to a rendition of some of his work and gave them some tips and insights on jazz appreciation and learning.

Chari has performed with top names like Henry Threadgill, Kenny Barron and Wynton Marsalis and given performances in cities around the world.

Parisian Thoroughfares is in fact a judicious mix of different styles of music including modern jazz, Western classical, Blues, Carnatic, Hindustani, world music, Latin American and African. Passionate about the piano as an instrument of expression and pleasure, he took the audience through a brief on jazz, primarily its impact and its versatility, patiently answering questions and disseminating information. “Jazz is a self-regenerating form of music which is dynamic and energetic. One can be an impressionable child or an adult in his seventies to learn and appreciate this form of music. There are simply no age limits,” he says.

Playing a few numbers from his album, Chari also went on to demonstrate the brilliance of jazz nuances, variation and improvisation by using the old familiar tune Happy Birthday. He also went on to speak to the audience at length on rhythm and structure, the origins of jazz, its African roots and its Cuban and Brazilian influences referring to the spread and popularity of the Indian jazz scene. The mathematician-turned-jazz pianist not only enthralled the audience with his short and exceptional performance but also gave the gathering a keen look into the world of jazz music. “It is the improvisation and passion that each musician brings to his performance which makes jazz seem dynamic, new and fresh. Sadly, the Indian jazz music scene is abysmal mainly because Indian jazz musicians lack passion.

Jazz has been an integral part of the Indian music scene and Bollywood music from the 1920s yet musicians dilute their work with fusion. Listen to pure jazz, its foot-tapping rhythm and it will get to you, don’t listen to fusion first and try and understand jazz later,” he signs off.

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